Progress report for
Achievement at a glance
The Global Seafarer Due Diligence, Integrity and Human Rights Investigation, under the “Cleanup the Ocean with Law” mission led by the All India Sustainable Development Council (AISDC), in partnership with Global Sustainable Council, UK, and with maritime and industry collaboration from Vigil Cruisevoy Limited, establishes a proposed international framework for addressing maritime recruitment integrity, seafarer protection, labour compliance and human rights at sea.
The initiative has developed a comprehensive research and action framework covering the following key areas:
Maritime Recruitment Due Diligence: A proposed framework to examine identity verification, recruitment practices, employment history, background screening and professional integrity in commercial and cruise shipping.
Indian Seafarer Protection: A dedicated investigation plan addressing reported crimes, recruitment fraud, employment disputes, welfare concerns and gaps in domestic and international protection mechanisms affecting Indian seafarers.
Professional Qualification Integrity: A proposed assessment of maritime training and certification verification, including relevant DG Shipping-approved training institutions, sea-service records and potential fraudulent documentation.
Human Rights and Gender Equality: A research framework addressing harassment, discrimination, violence, workplace safety, women's participation and child safeguarding in maritime environments.
Indigenous Ocean Rights: Integration of Indigenous Peoples' rights, cultural respect, traditional ocean access and equitable participation into maritime governance and employment research.
International Maritime Compliance: A proposed approach aligned with relevant international maritime labour, safety, environmental and human rights frameworks.
Global Research and Cooperation: A planned programme for engaging seafarers, maritime employers, recruitment agencies, research institutions, Indigenous organizations, unions and relevant authorities.
The initiative's current achievement is the development of an integrated research agenda, proposed implementation methodology, governance framework and 2027–2030 action plan.
Its next phase will focus on securing research partnerships, accessing reliable data, conducting consultations, validating findings and publishing evidence-based recommendations.
Through this work, AISDC and its partners aim to contribute to SDG 5, SDG 8, SDG 10, SDG 14, SDG 16 and SDG 17, supporting a safer, more accountable, inclusive and rights-respecting global maritime industry.
Challenges faced in implementation
The Cleanup the Ocean with Law initiative faces several challenges in addressing maritime crime prevention, ocean conservation, seafarer protection, Indigenous rights, and sustainable maritime development.
Key challenges include:
Limited access to reliable data: Obtaining verified, comparable information on maritime crime, ocean pollution, seafarer welfare, recruitment practices, and Indigenous participation across different countries and maritime sectors.
International legal and regulatory differences: Navigating varying national laws, maritime regulations, enforcement procedures, and institutional responsibilities across jurisdictions.
Maritime crime and compliance risks: Understanding and addressing risks related to trafficking, illegal activities at sea, document fraud, recruitment irregularities, and non-compliance while ensuring that allegations are investigated fairly and supported by evidence.
Seafarer welfare and due diligence: Establishing transparent recruitment, qualification verification, fair employment practices, grievance mechanisms, and safeguards against exploitation without discrimination or unjust suspicion.
Indigenous representation and inclusion: Addressing the limited availability of reliable global data on Indigenous Peoples’ participation in commercial shipping and cruise employment, as well as barriers involving recruitment, training, workplace inclusion, cultural recognition, and access to leadership opportunities.
Gender equality and safeguarding: Examining gender-based discrimination, harassment, unequal employment opportunities, and the need for effective protections for women and vulnerable groups in maritime workplaces.
Cross-border coordination: Building cooperation among governments, maritime authorities, shipping companies, seafarer organizations, research institutions, Indigenous representatives, and civil society organizations.
Funding and technical resources: Securing sustainable financial support, qualified researchers, legal expertise, data systems, and operational partnerships to conduct research and implement pilot activities.
Stakeholder participation and trust: Encouraging meaningful engagement from seafarers, Indigenous communities, employers, regulators, and affected coastal populations while protecting confidentiality and ensuring that consultations are inclusive.
Measuring long-term impact: Establishing measurable indicators and credible baselines to assess improvements in maritime compliance, ocean protection, seafarer safety, Indigenous inclusion, and sustainable blue-economy practices.
The initiative intends to address these challenges through phased research, evidence-based recommendations, stakeholder consultations, capacity-building, international cooperation, and transparent monitoring during the proposed 2027–2030 implementation period. These challenges are identified as areas requiring further investigation and action; they are not presented as verified findings of completed research.
Next Steps
The Cleanup the Ocean with Law initiative, led by the All India Sustainable Development Council (AISDC) in partnership with the Global Sustainable Council, UK, with Vigil Cruisevoy Limited as a maritime and industry collaborator, proposes the following next steps for the 2027–2030 implementation period.
Establish the project coordination framework: Form a multidisciplinary working group involving maritime experts, legal professionals, environmental researchers, seafarer representatives, Indigenous community representatives, and relevant partner organizations.
Conduct baseline research: Collect and analyse available data on maritime crime, ocean pollution, seafarer welfare, recruitment and credential verification, Indigenous participation, and gender equality in the maritime and cruise sectors.
Develop a global seafarer due diligence study: Design a fair, evidence-based research framework to examine recruitment practices, qualification verification, employment conditions, grievance mechanisms, and documented cases of misconduct, while protecting individual rights and confidentiality.
Launch Indigenous inclusion research: Consult Indigenous communities and relevant maritime stakeholders to identify barriers to employment, training, career progression, cultural recognition, and participation in commercial shipping and cruise operations.
Strengthen legal and institutional cooperation: Identify opportunities to engage maritime authorities, relevant government agencies, international organizations, academic institutions, shipping companies, and civil society networks to improve regulatory awareness and cross-border collaboration.
Organize stakeholder consultations: Conduct consultations, workshops, and expert dialogues with seafarers, women in maritime professions, Indigenous representatives, coastal communities, employers, and policymakers to gather practical insights and recommendations.
Develop training and awareness programmes: Prepare educational resources on maritime law, ocean conservation, ethical recruitment, human rights, gender equality, Indigenous rights, anti-trafficking awareness, and responsible maritime operations.
Prepare pilot activities: Identify suitable coastal or maritime locations for pilot research, awareness campaigns, and collaborative ocean-protection activities, subject to partner participation, funding, and applicable permissions.
Mobilize resources and partnerships: Develop funding proposals, seek institutional and technical partnerships, and identify research grants, corporate social responsibility opportunities, and other appropriate support mechanisms.
Publish research findings and policy recommendations: Produce periodic reports, research briefs, and practical recommendations based on verified evidence, stakeholder feedback, and applicable legal frameworks.
Establish monitoring and evaluation mechanisms: Define measurable indicators, establish baseline values, monitor implementation progress, and assess outcomes relating to ocean sustainability, maritime compliance, seafarer protection, gender equality, and Indigenous inclusion.
Scale successful interventions: Use the findings and lessons from initial research and pilot activities to refine the programme and explore wider regional and international collaboration.
The immediate priority is to establish the coordination structure, confirm research partners, identify available data, and prepare a detailed implementation and resource-mobilization plan. All activities will proceed in phases, subject to funding, institutional cooperation, ethical safeguards, and applicable legal requirements.
Additional Next Steps: Global Seafarer Verification, Screening and Maritime Security Cooperation
Establish cooperation with global ship registries: Initiate engagement with national and international ship registries, flag-state administrations, and relevant maritime authorities to explore a harmonized seafarer onboarding and verification framework. The objective is to encourage consistent checks of identity, qualifications, employment credentials, and applicable safety requirements before crew members join vessels.
Engage international classification societies and maritime networks: Develop institutional dialogue with classification societies, maritime industry associations, shipowners, cruise operators, crewing agencies, and maritime training institutions to explore common standards for responsible crew onboarding, document verification, safety, and compliance. Classification societies would be invited to contribute within their respective mandates and applicable agreements.
Introduce secure digital document verification: Propose a robust verification system for seafarer documentation, including passports, seafarer identity documents, certificates of competency, training records, medical fitness certificates, and other legally required credentials. Verification should involve secure checks with authorized issuing institutions and approved training centres, including relevant DG Shipping-approved institutions in India. The framework should identify forged, expired, altered, or inconsistent records while allowing individuals to correct genuine administrative discrepancies.
Develop a risk-based drug and alcohol testing framework: Consult maritime employers, occupational health specialists, seafarer representatives, and relevant regulators on consistent pre-joining and, where legally permitted, ongoing drug and alcohol testing protocols for safety-sensitive maritime roles. Testing should use accredited facilities, validated procedures, confidentiality protections, clear consent and notification processes, and access to confirmatory testing and review. Positive screening results should not automatically be treated as proof of criminal conduct.
Explore an international seafarer information-sharing framework with INTERPOL: Submit a proposal for dialogue with INTERPOL and relevant national authorities to examine the legal, technical, operational, and human-rights feasibility of a secure international mechanism for sharing specifically authorized maritime security information. The proposal may explore whether a centralized or interoperable system could support lawful identity verification, confirmed credential-fraud alerts, and appropriately authorized information concerning serious maritime security threats. Any mechanism would require formal authorization, strict access controls, purpose limitations, independent oversight, data accuracy procedures, correction and appeal mechanisms, and compliance with applicable privacy and human-rights standards. It must not become an unrestricted database of all seafarers or an unverified blacklist.
Create a coordinated maritime crime-prevention protocol: Explore cooperation among ship registries, flag-state authorities, port authorities, maritime employers, relevant law-enforcement agencies, and seafarer welfare organizations to improve reporting, incident response, evidence preservation, and referrals concerning trafficking, violence, harassment, document fraud, and other substantiated offences aboard vessels.
Strengthen onboard safeguarding and reporting: Encourage shipping and cruise operators to implement clear codes of conduct, confidential complaint channels, protection against retaliation, gender-sensitive safeguards, child-protection measures where applicable, and culturally respectful policies that recognize Indigenous Peoples' rights and dignity.
Develop a pilot programme for international evaluation: Select willing maritime partners to test secure document verification, responsible onboarding procedures, occupational health screening protocols, and incident-reporting mechanisms. Evaluate the pilot for effectiveness, cost, privacy, fairness, operational feasibility, and compliance before considering broader adoption.
Prepare a global policy and implementation framework: Based on consultations and pilot findings, prepare recommendations for relevant maritime authorities, ship registries, classification societies, shipping and cruise operators, seafarer organizations, and international institutions. The recommendations should balance maritime security with fair employment, non-discrimination, due process, seafarer privacy, and the protection of fundamental rights.
Expected direction: To explore a coordinated international maritime security and seafarer protection framework in which verified documentation, responsible crew onboarding, appropriate health and safety measures, lawful information-sharing, and effective onboard safeguarding contribute to safer vessels and the prevention of maritime crime.
Implementation status: These are proposed future activities. Engagement with ship registries, classification societies, INTERPOL, or other institutions, as well as the establishment of any shared international data system, remains subject to consultation, formal agreements, funding, technical feasibility, and applicable legal authorization.
Beneficiaries
The Cleanup the Ocean with Law initiative, led by the All India Sustainable Development Council (AISDC) in partnership with the Global Sustainable Council, UK, with Vigil Cruisevoy Limited as a maritime and industry collaborator, aims to benefit the following groups:
- Seafarers and Maritime Workers: Commercial shipping and cruise ship crews, including officers, ratings, and maritime support personnel, through improved recruitment transparency, qualification verification, workplace safety, fair employment practices, and access to grievance mechanisms.
- Indigenous Peoples and Coastal Communities: Indigenous communities and coastal populations through greater participation in maritime employment, protection of traditional rights, inclusion in ocean governance, and opportunities in the sustainable blue economy.
- Women in the Maritime Sector: Women working or seeking employment in shipping, cruise operations, maritime training, and ocean-related industries through improved equality, protection from harassment, and access to professional opportunities.
- Children and Vulnerable Groups: Individuals who may be affected by trafficking, exploitation, abuse, or unsafe maritime environments through stronger safeguarding awareness, prevention measures, and appropriate reporting and referral systems.
- Shipping and Cruise Industry: Shipowners, cruise operators, crewing agencies, maritime service providers, and employers through improved onboarding practices, secure document verification, risk management, regulatory awareness, and responsible workforce management.
- Ship Registries and Maritime Authorities: Flag-state administrations, ship registries, port authorities, and relevant regulatory institutions through research-based recommendations, improved cooperation, and practical approaches to maritime compliance and security.
- Maritime Training Institutions and Classification Networks: Maritime academies, approved training centres, classification societies, and professional networks through stronger credential-verification practices, awareness programmes, and opportunities to contribute to responsible industry standards.
- Ocean Conservation Organizations and Environmental Groups: Organizations engaged in marine biodiversity protection, pollution prevention, ocean restoration, and sustainable maritime practices through collaborative research, awareness, and policy engagement.
- Governments and Law-Enforcement Institutions: Relevant national and international authorities through evidence-based research, lawful information-sharing proposals, maritime crime-prevention cooperation, and recommendations that respect human rights and due process.
- Researchers, Universities, and Civil Society Organizations: Academic institutions, legal experts, Indigenous rights organizations, seafarer associations, and NGOs through access to collaborative research opportunities, stakeholder consultations, and policy-development initiatives.
- Port Communities and the General Public: Coastal residents, port-adjacent communities, and the wider public through increased awareness of ocean protection, safer maritime operations, reduced pollution risks, and the long-term benefits of sustainable oceans.
- Future Generations: Future generations through the promotion of cleaner oceans, stronger marine ecosystem protection, responsible maritime practices, and more inclusive and sustainable ocean governance.
Primary and Indirect Beneficiaries
- Primary beneficiaries: Seafarers, maritime workers, Indigenous Peoples, coastal communities, women in maritime employment, and vulnerable groups directly affected by maritime working conditions, ocean degradation, and maritime security risks.
- Institutional beneficiaries: Ship registries, maritime authorities, shipping and cruise operators, training institutions, classification societies, and relevant law-enforcement and research organizations.
- Indirect beneficiaries: The wider public, future generations, marine ecosystems, and communities that depend on healthy oceans and sustainable maritime industries.
The initiative will identify and quantify beneficiary groups during its baseline research and pilot implementation. Specific beneficiary numbers and measurable outcomes will be reported only when supported by verified project data.
Actions
1. Anti-Trafficking & Victim Assistance
Participated in the UN Informal Interactive Multi-Stakeholder Hearing (June 2025) on the Global Plan of Action to Combat Trafficking in Persons.
Supported the rescue, rehabilitation, and reintegration of trafficking victims in collaboration with grassroots partners (e.g., BBA/AVA).
Advocated for the Trafficking in Persons Bill and aligned national efforts with UNODC and UN Human Rights frameworks.
Conducted community awareness campaigns in vulnerable border, rural, and coastal areas.
2. POSH & Workplace Safety
Conducted certified POSH training programs across government, corporate, and educational institutions.
Served as nominated members in multiple Internal Complaints Committees (ICCs) to ensure gender-safe workplaces.
Engaged in capacity-building workshops for HR professionals and public administrators.
3. Cleanup Ocean with Law
Launched the flagship initiative to prevent drug trafficking via maritime routes and ensure UNCLOS compliance.
Engaged with seafarers, cruise companies, and port authorities to promote ocean crime prevention frameworks.
Collaborated with global anti-narcotic agencies and promoted the maritime SDG14 agenda.
4. Youth & School-Level Interventions
Rolled out anti-drug education programs in schools and colleges across Jammu & Kashmir, Kerala, and Maharashtra.
Trained student ambassadors to act as anti-drug champions in their communities.
Integrated life skills, awareness, and legal literacy modules into the school curriculum.
5. Support for Indigenous and Tribal Populations
Provided legal aid, social reintegration, and livelihood development support to indigenous communities affected by trafficking and exploitation.
Represented indigenous rights at forums like UN EMRIP and submitted recommendations for policy reforms.
Supported traditional knowledge and sustainable agriculture through SHGs and MSME engagement.
6. Partnerships & Policy Engagement
Engaged with UN Women, UNDP, UN Habitat, UNODC, and the European Commission for knowledge exchange and advocacy.
Contributed to global declarations such as the Beijing+30 and Paris Agreement alignment efforts.
Partnered with UNICEF in advancing Digital Girls Hub for young women’s empowerment.
All India Sustainable Development Council
